Improvement in windmills



Z'Sheets SheetT.

E. s. SMITH. wind-mus; No. 137,729, Patented-April8,1873.

AM. PHora-unwsmm/c ca am osamws; FRDCESQ I UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

ELIJAH S. SMITH, OF GOOD HOPE, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT lN WINDMILLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 137,729, dated April 8,1873; application filed.

February 15, 1 3.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, E. S. SMITH, of Good Hope, in the county ofMcDonough and State of Illinois, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Windmills; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention is a windmill, which is .adapted, by means of itspeculiar construction, to operate without a guide or tail fan, and itsnovelty consists mainly, first, in the combination of a brake-wheel andmechanism for operating it with sails adapted to be turned by the forceof the wind out of the windwhen the brake-wheel is held. Second, in thecombination of a brake-wheel, its operating mechanism and fans, adaptedto be turned out of the wind by the force of the wind when the brake isheld with a spring adapted to draw the sails into the wind. Third, inthe combination of a float and suitable connecting mechanism with thebrake-wheel, sails arranged as described, and the springdrawing thesails into the wind; and fourth, in the combination of the standard, therevolving box, the vertically-moving wrist, and the revolvlng sleeve andconnecting-rod.

In the drawing, Figure 1 represents an elevation of my improved milltaken from the leeward side and Fig. 2, a sectional elevation throughthe line a: at, Fig. 1. V f

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willnow proceed to describe fully its construction.

Arepresents the supporting standard stron gly secured in a verticalposition by any proper means, it being constructed with its lowerportion a square in form, and its upper portion a round, the latterbeing of less diameter so that the shoulder a is formed. B representsthe box which supports the wind-wheel proper. It is held in place by theupper portion of the main standard, and is adapted to revolve freelythereon. It may have a bearing upon the shoulder a but is preferablysupported upon the upper end of the standard A. 0 represents across-beam attached to its upper end, which is provided at each end withsuitable hearings for the shaft of the wind-wheel.

D represents the shaft provided at one end with a crank, d, and havingrigidly attached thereto at the other, in any proper manner, a head, E,having arms 0 c c c, as shown. F F F represent the fans or sails, whichare secured to'the arms 0 e by means of the cross-bars provided with thecentral sockets or thimbles g g, the latter of which have angular slotsin which rest pins secured to the arms 0 c, as shown. H represents adisk or wheel loosely held upon the shaft D, and connected by rods h h,or other suitable means, secured at proper and suitable intervals, nearits periphery, to one corner of the sails, as shown. sents a spring, themain portion of which is coiled about the hub of the head E and wheel H,one end being secured to each, as shown. J represents the brake havingits fixed end pivoted to the box B, and its free end, when operated,adapted to bear against the edge of the brake-wheel. K represents alever pivoted to any suitable standard, and connected by suitable meansto the brake at one end, and to a floating weight at the other. Lrepresents the pitman connected at one end to the crank of shaft D, andat the other to the sleeve M, which latter is adapted to revolve on thewrist of the pump-box N. The inner space of the pump-box conforms inshape to the square standard A, upon which it is free to movevertically, but cannot revolve. To the pumpbox the pump-rod may beattached in any suitable manner.

The operation of my improved windmill will now be described.

In consequence of the non-employment of a tail or guide fan the wheel,under the influence of the wind, will necessarily swing to the leeward,and receive the wind upon the opposite side from the ordinary wheel. Thebrake wheel is held in such relative position to the sails, by means ofthe connecting-spring, that the sails, when in their natural position,are exposed to the force of the wind, and they consequently revolve andgive motion to shaft and its connections. When it is desired to throwthe sails out of the wind the brake is applied, by which means therovolntion of the brakewheel is arrested. As the sails of the windwheel,however, are still exposed to the force of the wind the wheels revolveto some extent I repre-- against the force of the spring, by which meansthe fans are turned with their edges to the wind, this result beingproduced in consequenceof their inner edges being held stationary by theconnecting-rods which unite them to the brake-wheel, while their centersare carried forward by the revolution of the wheel. The angular slots ofthe thimbles upon the sails also insure the proper movement of the fans.

By means of this construction the sails are thrown out of the wind,while the brakewheel is held by the action of the wind itself. When thepressure upon the brake-wheel is relaxed the fans assume, at once, theirproper position, exposed to the wind, and freely revolve. The wire orcord of the brake-wheel may be used in connection with a weight aboveground or it may be suitably connected to a float in the well, or afloat in the tank or cistern. If desired the brake maybe operated bydifferent mechanism than that shown, such as a cord and pulley, but suchchanges are not important, and do not change the character of theinvention. The mill being simple in its construction can be produced ata small cost.

to be turned by the force of the wind, out of.

the wind, when the brake-wheel is held, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a brake-wheel, its operating mechanism, and fansadapted to be turned out of the wind, by the force of the wind, when thebrake-wheel is held, with a spring adapted to draw the sails into thewind, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a float, and suitable connecting mechanism, withthe brake-wheel, sails arranged as described, and the spring for drawingthe sails into the wind, as described, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the standard, of the revolving box, the verticallymoving pumpbox, and the revolving sleeve and connectingrod, asdescribed.

5. The combination of the brake and lever, and the connecting-rod,arranged as described, for the purpose set forth.

6. The windmill described, consisting essentially of the standard A,revolving box B, cross-bar (J, shaft D, and wheel E F, brakewheel H,spring I, brake J, lever K, and pitman L, with their connecting-partscombined and arranged as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 7th day of February, 1873.

Witnesses: E. S. SMITH.

J. A. MGCLELLAND, SAMUEL LooK.

